little bird // r.keene

xi. an old face.

No one expected Wren to turn up to training the next day. Johnny scanned the kids sat on the mats, waiting for training to start, but he couldn't see her.

"I heard about last night." Kreese came up beside him, folding his arms as the kids simmered into a light chatter, "Do you think Evans will show?" He asked, cocking his head to look at Johnny but Johnny had trained his eyes on the window, looking out into the parking lot.

"I have no idea. I'd be surprised if she did. Look at Hawk's face." And Kreese did, Hawk was sitting beside Miguel, stretching. He had a busted lip and a small bruise on his left cheek, it was nowhere near as bad as Johnny thought but he had seen how pissed Wren was, he knew as soon as he saw her behind the stage things weren't going to end well.

"Why didn't you tell her about the performance? She's one of us." Kreese tried to ask but Johnny didn't reply, "She's the champion and a cobra, you and I both know LaRusso is going to try and weasel his way into getting her to join Miyagi-Do, we need to keep her here." He reiterated and Johnny cleared his throat, stepping onto the mat.

"Everybody, fall in." He called out and the kids stood up without a question, "In neat rows and lines." Johnny added and just then, the door of the dojo opened and Johnny did a double take as he watched Wren step into the dojo.

Hawk clenched his jaw as he tensed at the mere sight of her, he took a deep breath but she had caught him by suprise. He thought, after last night, she would never show her face in Cobra Kai again after they betrayed her and she won their fight. Miguel couldn't help but keep his eyes trained on Johnny.

Some of the new kids kept their eyes on Wren as she slid off her shoes. They had all seen her before at the All Valley and yet, despite not witnessing the fight last night, news had spread before training she was the one to injure Hawk. Johnny opened his mouth but Kreese had already stepped forward:

"Evans, you're late. Fall in." He told her and without a word, Evans did as she was told in a space at the front right next to Miguel and Aisha. Both couldn't help but try and look at her but Wren didn't care.

"Now we can get started... Now we can see what you're made of." Johnny continued, as he began to walk through the lines of new students. "Straighten up, ginger twins." And the boy with long ginger hair did as he was told but a man in a blue shirt caught Johnny's eye, he began to walk towards him.

"Sorry, parents can't stay for class." Johnny told him in a low voice, "It's an insurance thing."
"I'm not a dad, I..." he paused, "I am here to kick some ass, sir!" He shouted and some of the students turned to look at him, Wren did too. He was maybe in his early thirties in a bright blue t shirt and a bandana tied around his forehead. Wren knew he wouldn't last a week, they all did.

Johnny ended up letting him stay on a trial run as he made his way back to the front of the class, towards where Kreese still remained at the front.
"I thought my last group of recruits was pathetic. But if you do what I tell you to do, you'll at least have a chance at becoming a fighter." Johnny told them all and Wren swallowed, "But to do that, you gotta fight." He paused, looking out, trying to make eye contact with all the new students.

"So, which one of you has the balls to take on the champ?"

Wren remained still, keeping her hands neatly behind her back. She wondered if anyone would step forward, after all, she could already feel the dozen eyes on the back of her head. Wren was no where near as angry as she was light night, her boiling temper had lost some it's momentum but she was still pissed. And she had every right to be. They all knew it. So no one stepped forward, until...

"I'll take her on." Everyone turned to see a girl, standing at the back of the room. Wren felt a smile crack on her face, she couldn't help it. She would know that face anywhere, even if it had been years.

"I saw your little demo at Valley Fest but I didn't get to see the champion there. You guys can put on a show but can she actually fight?" Wren couldn't help but let out a stifled chuckle at the girl's words.

"Something funny, Evans?" Johnny turned his head over his shoulder to ask her but Wren couldn't contain her smile.
"That sounds like a challenge." Wren spoke, catching everyone's attention.

"It was meant to be." The girl replied, taking a step further onto the mat.

"Hey, Wren." Tory smiled over at her and Wren felt a sudden sense of comfort wash over her, her limbs relaxed as she gave her a small smile.
"Tory." Wren nodded her head.

"You two know each other?" Johnny asked, standing between them with the other students pointing from Tory to Wren, then back again.
"Yeah, we do." Wren answered.
"Old friends." Tory added.

Kreese took a step forward, clearing his throat.
"Evans, let me speak to you in the office. Sensei Lawrence, alright if Mr Diaz takes this fight?" He chimed in and Wren threw a look at him but Kreese had already had his eyes fixed on her. She licked her lips before turning back to look at Johnny and Tory.

"I want to fight." Wren told them but Kreese didn't seem to care.
"Diaz, you ready to fight?" Johnny asked Miguel, disregarding Wren's request and Wren clenched her jaw, she turned on her heels. Throwing Tory a look, a friendly, longing look which Tory replied to with a smile.

Wren walked towards the office without a word.